Chapter 13

"Mom, did you just hit me for him?" Wendy held her cheek, eyes wide with disbelief. Fiona had never laid a hand on her, not once in her entire life. But today, her mother had struck her for Zachary, her son-in-law, an outsider. The realization hit Wendy hard, and an overwhelming sense of injustice washed over her. Her eyes reddened, and tears spilled uncontrollably down her cheeks. "Wendy, I—" Fiona reached out, her voice tinged with regret, trying to find words of comfort. But before she could say anything, Wendy shot a bitter glare at Zachary and stormed out of the house. As she passed Zachary, she didn't hide the anger and hurt in her eyes, giving him one last venomous look. "Wendy, where are you going?" Fiona called after her, but Wendy didn't look back and disappeared down the hallway in seconds. Fiona instinctively moved to chase after her daughter but stopped short after a few steps. She turned to Zachary, her eyes pleading. "Zac, please, go after her. I'm worried she might do something silly!" "Alright." Zachary couldn't refuse her request. "Take care of yourself, Fiona." With that, he turned and walked out the door. As Zachary stepped outside, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. Facing Harold or even Wendy hadn't been his biggest challenge today. It had been dealing with Fiona. Fiona had always been so kind to him, and he had dreaded the moment he would have to break the news of the divorce to her. He had imagined countless outcomes, but none quite like what had just unfolded. Still, he had done it. The hardest part was over. Harold would likely accept the situation. Fiona, even if she objected, wouldn't be able to change his or Wendy's decision in the end. Inside the house, with both Wendy and Zachary gone, only Harold and Fiona remained. Fiona, still shaken, returned to the dining table and sat down, her face etched with worry. She looked at her husband and asked, "Harold, do you really want to see Wendy go through a divorce?" Harold replied calmly, "This is between the two of them. If they want a divorce, then so be it. We have no right to interfere." Wendy had good looks and a refined demeanor, but more importantly, she had the skills to manage a company. Even if she got divorced, with her qualities, finding another partner wouldn't be an issue. In fact, she could very well end up with someone more suited to her, a partner who could not only match her status but also support her career ambitions. Fiona's brow furrowed as she spoke. "I know you've never liked Zac, but it was my idea to have him stay home and take care of Wendy. You've seen how well he's looked after her these past five years." Fiona sighed as she continued, "Zac's a good man. If it were up to me, I'd want them to work things out." Harold said, his voice steady, "Children live their own lives. As parents, we shouldn't meddle too much. Let them figure it out." Finishing his thought, Harold poured himself another drink and continued to sip quietly. Fiona, disheartened, picked up her fork, but the food on her plate held no appeal. She muttered, setting her fork down, "You go ahead and eat. I'm going to bed." Harold frowned but said nothing as Fiona rose and left the room. … On the other side, Zachary descended the stairs and began looking around the complex for Wendy. He knew her too well. Wendy would get upset and storm out, but she would never actually leave the neighborhood. As expected, after a short search, he found her sitting by a flowerbed. Wendy was crouched on the ground, clutching her phone and wiping away tears. Zachary had seen this scene countless times. Every time she argued with her father, Wendy would find a quiet corner in the neighborhood to cry. This time was no different. Just as he was about to approach her, Zachary overheard Wendy speaking on the phone. "Ethan, don't worry about things at home. I'll take care of the company. I can help you with the money issue…" Wendy's voice was soft but firm, betraying no hesitation. His steps came to a sudden halt. Zachary let out a bitter laugh. Why would she need his comfort now? She had Ethan. With that thought, he turned away and sent Fiona a message, letting her know Wendy was safe downstairs. After sending the text, he headed towards the exit of the complex. He planned to hail a cab back to the Bayville Villa District, but when he reached the gate, he noticed Anya's red Ferrari parked by the curb. Anya honked lightly, rolling down the window and leaning her head out. She waved at Zachary, signaling for him to come over. Zachary walked over, a bit surprised. He asked Anya, "You've been waiting here this whole time?" Anya smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. She replied in an instant, "Of course! Touched?" "You didn't have to wait for me," Zachary said with a rueful smile. Zachary hadn't expected Anya to be waiting for him at the entrance of the community. Anya's expression turned serious. "I think it was absolutely necessary." Zachary scratched his nose, momentarily speechless. "I'm starving. When we get back, you're making me pasta," Anya complained, half-pouting. Zachary looked at her, somewhat baffled by her unexpected request, but he nodded in agreement. He climbed into the passenger seat, closed the door, and buckled his seatbelt. The roar of the engine filled the air as Anya started the car. At that moment, Wendy was also pulling out of the complex in her own car. As she glanced over, Wendy caught sight of Zachary in the passenger seat of a sleek sports car driven by a woman. Her heart sank. For a moment, she froze, but she quickly composed herself. By the time she snapped back to reality, the red Ferrari had already sped off into the distance. "Zachary, how could you be with another woman behind my back?" Wendy gritted her teeth as she pulled out her phone to call Zachary. She needed to find out who the woman was that had come between them and was destroying her marriage. As soon as the call connected, however, Zachary hung up. Wendy refused to give up, dialing three more times, but each time, as soon as the call connected, Zachary would cut her off again. Frustrated, Wendy opened WhatsApp and typed out two accusatory messages, sending them off in quick succession. "Zachary, you want a divorce, but it's not because of Ethan, is it? You've been cheating on me all along, haven't you?" she wrote, her fingers trembling with anger. With a determined expression, she quickly added the second message. "How could you do this to me? As a married man, you shouldn't be involved with other women! Or is it that you want a divorce just to make room for your mistress? So you can give her a title?" The first message was sent successfully, but the second one didn't go through. Just as she hit send, a red exclamation mark appeared in the chat window. Zachary had blocked her! "Bastard!" Wendy shouted angrily. Wendy's anger surged, transforming her initial frustration into rage. She wanted to chase after that red sports car, flag it down, and confront the woman who had stolen her husband. She envisioned storming up to that hussy, slapping her across the face, and shouting, "This is my man!" The thought fueled her fury, but reality quickly set in. There was no way she could catch up to that red supercar, which had already vanished from sight. With tears in her eyes and her chest heaving, Wendy murmured, "Zachary, I will never forgive your betrayal."